Checking in...

So...remember that list of vocabulary words for Alex this week?

Well, we were working on them and he just struggled with the word imitate.

So, I started imitating him. He sighed, I sighed, he tapped his pencil, I tapped my pencil. He soon caught on but didn't catch that I was trying to help him with vocabulary.

A: Mom!
Me: Mom!
He turned away, I turned away.

He sighed again, I sighed. I could sense he just wasn't grasping it.

I asked, "Alex what am I doing?"
He turned back towards me with eyes filled with tears.

"Making fun of me?"

"Oh, no honey," and I pulled him onto my lap. "I am IMITATING you!"

The light dawned as he laughed through his tears. 

"Oh." he said.

I reminded him of the time I taught him the word duck by throwing something at him. (I know, I'm not going to win any parenting awards admitting that.) And he laughed again. 

So this morning we were making a last ditch effort to review his vocabulary words and we got to imitate. He hummed, he hawed, then I said "Come on Alex. You should know THIS one!" and again the light and he grinned  "To copy!" 

YES!

He heads to scout camp for an overnight-er tonight. His back pack is almost as big as him. Its a two mile hike. I hope he doesn't fall over backwards. He came in with it strapped on and asked if I wanted to be a scout? No thanks. Then later he came and rubbed his cheek against mine and sighed and laid against my shoulder and I teased him that he was going to miss his mama. He laughed. "No, I will not miss you for ONE night." I asked if he was sure, that maybe he would cry "I want my mama!" and he laughed. No mom, I will not. Lately he's been so much easier to joke with and be around. He's getting our humor and we're getting his. 

He's very protective of Rylee. Rylee had a guy friend from school drop by out of the blue and he was very concerned. Almost like a father-hen or I guess that would be a father-roster? It made me laugh. Rylee is really going to be in for it in junior high and high school with Alex looking out for her. 

I forgot to blog about Alex's talk in church. He did really well. I always remind my children to speak slow and loud enough for grandpa to hear. My dad is hard of hearing and we're lucky enough to be in the same ward. Alex walked up to the mike, leaned into it and in a deep, low voice said "Grandpa....can you hear me?" The congregation laughed as my Dad nodded. He bore a sweet testimony at the end of his talk saying he was thankful for his family and the scriptures and that he can come to church and learn about Jesus. 

Chalk that one up to a Parent Pay Day! 

Another P.P.D. I need to mention is about Austin. He doesn't read my blog so I'm safe as he would be embarrassed that I wrote about this. I have been trying to ask the kids each night to tell me a nice thing they did for someone else during the day.(With hopes that they'll look for opportunities to do nice things and make it a part of their character? I know, maybe not. But it's worth a shot right?)  I usually get crazy answers-especially from Austin-like,  "I was nice to not hit/make fun of/punch so and so when they did this or that." Last night I hadn't asked for a nice thing report but Austin shared that he thought he was in trouble during school that day. He was asked to go into his PE teachers office after class.  He wasn't sure what he had done but he knew getting called into the office wasn't a good thing but it turned out he wasn't in trouble. 

So I had to probe, well then why did you get called in? He was called in because they had been playing baseball in class and had a handicap student pitching and Austin had swung at all his pitches-despite the fact they didn't make it to the plate-and he obviously struck out. The teacher complimented him for being a good sport and taking the strikes without complaining. 

Awww....that's my boy! It warms my heart to hear these stories. I always hear-through the neighborhood grapevine-when he's being mischievous. Nice to hear some good stuff. (Note to self: Don't be that neighbor that tattles on the teenagers. Be the neighbor that tells the frazzled mom that her prankster teenage son did something GOOD!)

I need to keep my note to myself in mind as I serve in YOUNG WOMEN'S! Yes, that's right. I am no longer the 2nd counselor in Relief Society but the 1st counselor in YW's. I couldn't be more thrilled! I will be over Devree's age group and working with many of my ward friends! So excited. I hope they don't think I'm old and fuddy-duddy. I remember thinking woman my age were exactly that when I was a young woman. Funny, how your body say's "Yes I'm 41" but you spirit is still in its early twenty's! Now if I could just get my energy level to agree more with my spirit and not my body!

Happy weekend everyone!